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Release date: March 10, 2017

Publisher: Aria Fiction 

Genre: Chick Lit

Blurb: 

Second chances, new loves and scrumptious cakes, in this heart-warming novel. Perfect for all fans of Fern Britton, Katie Fforde and Cathy Bramley.
Following the tragic death of her beloved husband, Anna Hemingway decides it’s time for a fresh start. So Anna and her three-year-old daughter Ellie move to a picture-perfect cottage in the beautiful village of Little Somerby, and when she takes over the running of the village tea shop, Ellie and Anna start to find happiness again.
But things get complicated when Matthew Carter, the owner of the local cider farm, enters their lives. Throughout a whirlwind year of village fetes and ancient wassails, love, laughter, apple pie and new memories, life slowly blossoms again. But when tragedy strikes and history seems to be repeating itself, Anna must find the strength to hold onto the new life she has built.
This beautiful, life-affirming debut novel marks the beginning of the Little Somerby series, and promises to make you smile, cry, reach for a cream tea, and long for a life in the perfect English countryside.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Second Chance Tea Shop. I have my review and an extract to share today. 

Extract: 

1

‘Are we nearly there?’ A small voice came from the back seat of Anna Hemingway’s car.

We’re getting there, Anna thought. ‘Just a couple more minutes.’

As she drove, she kept half an eye on the scenes that presented themselves. Although she had been a regular visitor to Little Somerby, the Somerset village where she grew up, since she’d left eighteen years ago it had changed little from her last visit, yet as a soon-to-be resident once again she looked about her with fresh eyes.

‘Will there be a swing in the garden?’ Ellie asked.

‘I don’t know, darling. We can always get one if you want.’ Anna spotted the church on the corner, gravestones covered in a crisp shroud of frost, surrounded by yew trees. On the other side of the road was the village pub, The Stationmaster, site of countless drunken nights and teenage liaisons.

‘Tomorrow?’

‘Perhaps when we’ve settled in a bit.’

Continuing on she saw the Post Office and stores, now rather more organic and free range than she remembered. Next to that, the Village Hall, red-bricked and proudly declaiming its Temperance movement heritage. A little further on she passed the garage where she’d bought her first car, and then, the warm, inviting lights of The Little Orchard Tea Shop. She briefly glimpsed a couple of occupied tables through the bay window, and a shiver of anticipation went through her. Of all the decisions she’d made over the past few months, taking on a new job was the one that she’d agonised hardest about. But this move was intended to be a fresh start, a change to nearly every part of her life, and there was no doubt that managing a tea shop would provide plenty of change.

As she drove closer towards her new home, the sprawling land and buildings of the local cider farm – once a shed and a shop, now a thriving multinational business – loomed into view. Apart from the more dominant presence of the cider farm, so little in the village had changed; Anna found it difficult to believe that she had. But she was thirty-six years old, with a D-cup bra, a C-section scar and a three-year-old daughter. She was hardly the same hopeful girl who’d left the village to pursue education, a career, and later, love.

Love. Anna swallowed hard. They’d have been married ten years this spring. But she pushed that to the back of her mind; today was about taking the next step in her new life.

She felt a small stirring of excitement as she turned up Flowerdown Lane, which was a pleasant spot a little away from the main part of the village. Pippin Cottage was the last house on the right; one of only four houses. It was painted white with dark beams running from top to bottom. A curved oak door was set into the centre of the front of the cottage, protected from the elements by a slightly rickety porch. Three windows adorned the first floor and two further windows sat either side of the front door. The slate roof had been repaired extensively but still retained its aged charm. The front garden was enclosed by a stone wall with a rusty wrought-iron gate. At the end of the lane was an orchard of neatly ordered apple trees, their branches lying dormant now, but promising new life when the spring arrived.

Anna had chosen the cottage because it was close enough to the village to feel connected, but, being the last house on the lane, it also had a pleasantly secluded feel. She’d only viewed it once before putting in an offer, and she’d nearly been put off by the estate agent, who had been brusque to the point of rudeness while he showed her around, but she’d always wanted to own a cottage, and this one was practically the stuff of dreams. The fact that her absolute worst nightmare had come true, and allowed her the freedom to buy the place, was an agonising irony that tormented her, nearly two years on. The sharpness of loss pierced her heart once again and she had to draw in a calming, steadying breath.

‘Are you ready, darling?’ Opening her car door, she went to the back to get Ellie out. The little girl took approximately half a second to look around before she bounded through the garden gate and raced up the garden path.

‘Come on, Mummy!’ she called from the porch.

Anna pushed the car door shut and looked at her daughter hopping impatiently from foot to foot on the doorstep. It was time.

*

‘Well, as soon as you hear from them please can you get them to give me a ring?’ Anna pressed the end call button to the removal company and yet again cursed the fact she’d shoved her mobile phone charger in the last box that had been loaded onto the lorry. Only a few minutes behind her when they’d left, they still hadn’t turned up. Chucking the phone down on the lamentably empty kitchen worktop, Anna jumped as a deep bark rent the air, and, almost immediately, fuzzy black and white fur flying, a Border collie erupted from the hall into her kitchen. This was followed by an unmistakably outraged female voice. ‘Seffy! Come back here now!’

Despite the cold December day, Anna had left the dark oak door open to let in some light and a little fresh air, and as she made an abortive grab for the dog’s collar, she noticed its owner silhouetted in the door frame. Dark-haired, pale-skinned and slender, as she turned towards Anna and dropped her hand from the door, Anna saw a generous red-lipped mouth and the most startling blue eyes she’d ever seen. The girl was clad in dark jeans and an oversized striped jumper, combined with ballet pumps that were totally unsuitable for the December weather.

‘I’m so sorry,’ the girl’s voice was low, modulated and hinted at a public school education. ‘I tried to get him on the lead before we got to the gate, but he outsmarted me.’

Anna smiled. ‘No harm done.’ As soon as the collie saw his mistress he trotted obediently back to her.

Looping the dog’s lead through his collar, the girl smiled apologetically. ‘I’m Meredith. But most people call me Merry.’ She glanced back at the dog. ‘And this is Sefton.’

‘It’s nice to meet you,’ Anna said, reaching forward to pat the dog. ‘I’m Anna, and, somewhere in the house is my daughter Ellie.’

‘So you’re moving in today?’ Merry asked.

‘Yup, if the removal company ever get here. I’d offer you a cup of tea, but I don’t have my kettle!’ She glanced around the kitchen. The Rayburn – something else she’d always wanted in the kitchen of her dreams – squatted dull yellow and imposing against one wall of the kitchen, its top scrubbed clean. Anna was a keen baker and she was looking forward to learning how to cook on it, especially in light of the new job she was going to be taking on in a week or two. She hoped the previous owner had left the instruction manual, as she didn’t know where to start with it.

‘Thanks for the offer anyway, but I can’t stop. Seffy’s been bugging me for a walk all day and he needs all the exercise he can get. Whenever he sees an open door he takes it as an invitation! Sorry about that.’

‘It’s fine,’ Anna replied. ‘I’m sure he won’t be the last visitor!’

‘No, definitely not,’ Meredith rolled her eyes. ‘The local gossips will be on your doorstep in no time, so be careful. I’d install CCTV if I were you, or get a dog yourself to chase them off!’

‘Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep that in mind.’

‘Well, welcome to the village – hopefully catch up with you again soon,’ Meredith turned on her heel and wandered back out.

As she stood in the doorway, she saw the girl disappear up to the end of the lane, open the five-bar gate that marked the entrance to the orchard and walk through. If all the teenagers in the village looked like that, Anna reflected, then things really had changed over the time she’d lived away.

A buzz from her mobile interrupted her thoughts. Walking back to the kitchen, she found a message from the movers blaming a pile-up on the M5 for their non-appearance. Anna winced and locked her screen again, willing her thoughts not to wander. In the meantime, she figured she’d look in on her best friend Charlotte, who lived two doors down. Charlotte had texted that morning demanding to know exactly when Anna was arriving. The fact that she would be living so close to her oldest school friend was another reason she’d swiftly put an offer in on Pippin Cottage. Anna had the feeling she was going to need friends and family around her in the next few weeks and months. Guiltily, she realised she’d not texted Charlotte back. She really must get a grip and crack on with things. After all, she’d arranged to meet Ursula Rowbotham, the owner of the tea shop, at six o’clock and it was edging up to three o’clock now.

First, though, she decided to set up the Rayburn, which ran the central heating as well as providing the main source of cooking in the kitchen. There had been some wrangling between solicitors about the Rayburn before the exchange of contracts, but she’d been assured that it would be serviced and fuelled before completion. As she turned knobs and fiddled with switches, however, she quickly realised the huge iron beast wasn’t going to work. That’s all I need, she thought. No furniture, no broadband and now no bloody central heating! Biting back her irritation, she punched out the estate agent’s number on her mobile. After a brief exchange, one of the agents assured her they’d contact the previous owner and get someone round as soon as possible, so Anna decided to cut her losses.

‘Come on, Munchkin,’ she called to Ellie, who was spinning around in circles in the empty living room. ‘Let’s go and find Charlotte and Evan.’ Taking the slightly dizzy toddler’s hand, she closed the old front door behind her and went in search of her best friend.

Review: 

I have to start by gushing over this absolutely beautiful cover, doesn’t it just scream springtime?! I adore it and what’s inside is just as sweet and lovely. Anna is a widow and trying to start a new life for herself and her three year old daughter, Ellie. She moves to the quaintest little village to run a tea shop and though I know it’s not real, I would still really like to visit it myself!  There’s something about all these sweet shops, bakeries and tea shops that always pop up in books set in the U.K. that always appeals to me. 

Though Anna has no intention of dating anytime soon, she meets Matthew who runs a local cider farm and can’t fight their growing connection. I really liked that this wasn’t one of those books where two people meet, fall in love instantly and everything is utterly perfect, they experience a few bumps in the road. Anna is quite mature and guarded so she takes her time in her new relationship which was very refreshing and appreciated. It follows Anna’s life over the course of a year and is broken up into sections based on the season. I loved experiencing the village through Anna’s eyes and seeing how it looked and felt during all the months of the year. 

This was an uplifting read about getting a second chance at not only love, but at life in general. Ellie and Matthew’s teenaged daughter Merry really stole the show and were a great added bonus to the story. This was a light, easy read full of whimsy and hope, one that kept me flicking the pages rapidly as I was so hopeful that Anna would find true happiness. She grows and evolves so much over the course of the book and watching her relationship with Matthew blossom was so sweet and romantic. Is there anything more endearing than watching a love story unfold?! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Aria Fiction for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Fay Keenan was born in Surrey and raised in Hampshire, before finally settling back in the West Country. When Fay is not chasing her children around or writing, she teaches English at a local secondary school. She lives with her husband of fourteen years, two daughters, a cat, two chickens and a Weimaraner called Bertie in a village in Somerset, which may or may not have provided the inspiration for Little Somerby.

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Release date: March 31, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Blurb: 

Brighton 1930: Maureen O’Connell is a carefree girl, but her family is on the brink of tragedy, war is looming and life will never be the same again. 

Jack and Nelson have always been dear friends to Maureen. Despite their different backgrounds, they’ve seen each other through thick and thin. 

As Maureen blossoms from a little girl into a young woman, the candle she’s always held for Jack burns bright. But just as she’s found love, war wrenches them apart. The man she cherishes with all her heart is leaving. 

When the bombs start to fall, Maureen and her family find themselves living in the most dangerous of times. With Jack no longer by her side and Nelson at war, Maureen has never felt more alone. Can she look to a brighter future? And will she find the true happiness she’s dreamt of? 

An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching story about the enduring power of love, hope and friendship during the darkest of days. Perfect for fans of Pam Jenoff, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe. 

I’m so happy to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for When We Danced at the End of the Pier. 

Oh my goodness, this was such a gorgeous read! It was one of those books that truly transports you to a different place and time, I was totally swept away by this lovely story. 

It begins when Maureen is just a young girl, she has a simple life and a loving family who she adores. Her father is battling demons from the war so he cares for her and her sister, Brenda while her mother works to provide for their family. When they move to Brighton she quickly makes friends with three other young people; Jack who also lives on See Saw Lane, Nelson who is Jack’s best friend, and Monica her new best friend. These four had the most touching friendship, it was so sweet. As they grow up together, it seems a war is imminent and though they’re all frightened, they have each other. 

This read like an epic saga, it had bittersweet romances, tragedy, picturesque scenery, family drama, many moments of laughter and so much heartbreak. I don’t often cry when reading but Taylor caused me to shed more than a few tears, it was that moving. It was a captivating read and one that I won’t soon forget. The characters were so full of depth, the sort that burrow into your heart and steal a piece of it by the end. It was spectacular and I would love to see it play out on the big screen, I highly recommend this one to fans of historical fiction. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy and to Kim Nash for urging me to read this, I’m so grateful. 

About the Author: 

Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist.

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Release date: March 8, 2017

Genre: Mystery/Suspense 

Blurb:

A Presence of Absence is the first book in The Odense Series. Although this is a solid crime novel, it also begins and ends with grief for many of the characters, personal demons and life decisions.

A gritty murder case gets in the way of the characters’ everyday lives and sends the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish city of Odense, into a panic.

British detective Simon Weller escapes the fallout from the recent suicide of his Danish wife, Vibeke and heads out to her home city of Odense. But once there he is paired up with a local detective, Jonas, who is also about to his rock bottom in his home life, and they must overcome their differences and personal problems to try and catch one of the worst serial killers Odense has ever seen. The case takes them back into past decades as history starts catching up with some of the local inhabitants. When Simon realises that his wife’s suicide may not be all it seems and her name appears in the cas, his integrity within the case is compromised, how far will he go to find out the truth of Vibeke’s past and hide it from his already troubled police partner?

Back home in London Simon’s family are struggling with their own web of lies and deceit and the family is falling apart.

With one family hiding a dark secret, the whole case is just about to reach breaking point. 

Review: 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for A Presence of Absence! 

This is the first book in a new series from authors Surgey and Vestrheim and is a blend of Nordic Noir and classic British crime. I’m always equally fascinated and skeptical when authors team up and write together, I worry that you’ll be able to tell that there are two different people writing the book and that there will be two completely distinct voices. Fortunately they work extremely well together and I wouldn’t have been able to even guess it was written by a duo unless I already knew. 

Simon is grieving after he lost his wife when she committed suicide and he left his job as a police detective in England. He moves to Odense on a whim to live in the town his beloved grew up in hoping to be able to come to terms with his loss. Jonas lives in Odense and is also a police officer, but instead of climbing the ranks after several years, he’s relegated to being a traffic cop. When Simon accepts a job and is partnered up with Jonas, these two unsteady new partners must find a way to solve a murder staged as suicide with dark links to an old, unknown case. 

Earlier I spoke of a blending of genres and with Simon as a English detective and Jonas as a Danish police officer, you can see how things fit together. There was a fairly large cast of secondary characters that were all well drawn, and despite their seeming insignificance to the plot, they all added something to the story in the end. Everyone had an interesting backstory of some sort and the characterization was excellent overall. The prologue and epilogue were both very strong and though the case was solved in the end, the epilogue was fantastic and left things wide open for the planned sequel. 

 This was really atmospheric, the farmland of Odense was well represented and easy for me to imagine and I was reminded of Ragnar Jonasson’s Ari Thor series as well as Sara Blaedel’s writing style. If you’re a fan of either of those two or of Nordic Noir in general you may like this one. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the authors for my review copy. 

About the Authors: 

Sarah Surgey is a 36 year old British feature writer for various magazines. She lives in the UK with her husband and 4 daughters.

She has had an interest in all things Nordic for many years and has written about many genres within this subject for publication. Although British, she has Danish family and enjoys exploring Denmark and its culture whenever the opportunity arrives.

Sarah was brought up with crime books and inevitably has always had crime story scenarios going around inside her head. After interviewing many famous authors for different magazines within the Nordic literary circle and always knowing the answer to her question of “why did you start writing?” she felt now was her time to get her stories out there, for people to read!

Emma Vestrheim is the owner and editor-in-chief of Cinema Scandinavia, a Nordic film and television journal that analyses popular Nordic titles. Part of her work includes working with directors, actors and filmmakers, and her numerous interviews with the biggest names in Nordic film and television have given her a privileged access to what makes Nordic narratives so successful. Cinema Scandinavia publishes bimonthly and is available in major Nordic film libraries.

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Release date: March 21, 2017

Genre: Romantic Comedy 

Blurb: 

She’s a work in progress . . .

Bailey Meredith has had it. As an assistant at a prestigious interior design firm, she’s tired of making coffee and filing invoices. She’ll do just about anything to get out from under the paperwork and into the field for real experience. Then she sees an ad for a job that seems too good to be true. 

He’s a fixer upper . . .

Wilder Aldrich knew she would be perfect for the crew the moment he saw her. His hit home improvement show only hired the best, and Bailey had potential written all over her. It isn’t just her imaginative creativity and unmatched work ethic that grabs his attention. There’s just something about her. 

With chemistry on screen, it’s only a matter of time before sparks fly behind the scenes as well. But with Bailey’s jaded views on romance and a big secret that could destroy Wilder and everyone he cares about, are either of them willing to risk it all for love?

I’m so happy to be one of the stops on the blog tour for Playing House! This was such a cute, fun read, perfect for fans of those fixer upper type reality TV shows, I loved it. I’m sharing an excerpt today to whet your appetite then my review will follow. There’s also a giveaway linked at the very end you can enter! 

Excerpt: 

Keeping a close distance, she followed Waverly up the cracked path to the house. Bailey took quick mental notes of her surroundings. The exterior needed a lot of work. The sagging roof missing gutters made her think they’d find the inside in similar disarray. They stepped through the front door, nearly tripping over Wilder Aldrich, who was measuring the entryway.

“Hey!” He sprang to his feet and out of their way. “What did I tell you about waiting until I gave you the all clear?”

“You were taking for-frickin’-ever, and some of us were freezing our tits off.” She pursed her lips and took on a warrior stance, seemingly daring him to say something else.

Conceding victory to her, Wilder turned and flashed an apologetic grin at Bailey. “Hey.” He offered a hand. Warmth permeated through the thin material of her glove. “Welcome to Casa de Waverly.”

Giving him a smug grin, Waverly sipped her coffee and faced Bailey. “Do you have a smart phone?”

Bailey stared blankly for a second, still dazzled by seeing Wilder up close. But she quickly snapped to attention and dug her phone out of her coat pocket.

“Good,” Waverly said after inspecting it. “While you’re on the job, I’d like you to snap some photos for our social media accounts. I’ll want to vet everything before we post it, but we need to start building the buzz for the next season while we’re filming. In exchange, we’ll cover your phone payments to take care of your data usage. Understood?”

“I can do that.”

“Good. Now . . .” She pulled out her own phone. It was the latest model that had come out on the market a month ago. With all of its reported bells and whistles, it put Bailey’s poor phone to shame. “I’m going to make a quick call. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and we can get started on,” she gestured around her, “this mess.”

She spun on her heel and waltzed out of the room, cooing into the phone.

Wilder cleared his throat, and Bailey turned to give him her full attention. She estimated he was only a couple of years older than herself—maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. He looked younger in real life than he did on TV. He was leaner and a little shorter—though she still had to crane her neck a little to meet his gaze.

He was also more handsome. Not the GQ model, your tongue-sticks-to-the-top-of-your-mouth kind of sexy. But he was hot in the same way the guy you sat next to in Chemistry was. It was enough to distract you from formulas and Bunsen burners every so often, but not enough that you’d ever set the lab on fire or forget to finish your final exam.

So far, he seemed much more serious. Where was the guy who scared Waverly with a stuffed dummy in a closet in the last episode she’d watched before calling an end to the marathon?

He was, she realized, studying her every bit as closely, with those hazel eyes speckled with green. Noting that, she didn’t feel quite as rude taking mental notes on the man in front of him.

At least she looked good. She’d laid out three outfits that morning in the hotel room. The first was a long, silky turquoise tunic that she’d paired with a pair of black leggings and knee-high boots. It was similar to the clothes Waverly favored on screen—only hers weren’t name-brand knockoffs. Then she had the casual jeans, a gray T-shirt that she could dress-up with a navy blue blazer. And there was option three: dark-wash, fit jeans, a chambray shirt, and a scarf. It was an ensemble that fell somewhere in the middle. It was the one that looked the most like her when she inspected herself in the mirror.

It was the one that felt most like her now in the middle of the foyer.

She wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see a confident young woman ready to tackle major projects adeptly? Or did he see someone who was desperate to create, no matter what happened? Both were correct, but which one shone through right now?

Like a light switch, that triggered something in her. She offered her hand again. “We haven’t officially met. I’m Bailey Meredith.”

Review: 

My husband and I are in the process of building a house right now and to say he’s obsessed with HGTV is putting it mildly. He always has it on when we’re home and though I didn’t see the appeal of these types of shows at first, they’ve admittedly grown on me. There’s something so satisfying about seeing a whole remodel or renovation being completed in thirty minutes, even if I know it’s unrealistic. Getting to see behind the scenes of a home improvement show AND adding in funny romance was like a match made in heaven for me. 

Bailey was just a doll, the perfect lead character for a rom com, and I would totally watch the movie version of Playing House. She’s passionate about interior design and when the opportunity to work as an assistant designer on one of the top rated shows for the Design Network arises, she’s pretty excited. Waverly and Wilder are the couple behind an uber successful TV series, they have an adorable four year old daughter, Virginia and seem to be living a dream life. But not is all as it seems, and Bailey soon finds out that besides clever editing and sneaky reshoots, Waverly and Wilder are keeping some pretty big personal secrets as well.

This one was just a ball of fun and had such a great energy. Wilder and Bailey had indisputable chemistry despite some complications and reservations on both ends. Wilder oozed sex appeal, as a Texas native he had the whole gentlemanly, southern charm routine nailed. Besides those two, there was a great supporting cast of likable characters. Paige is Bailey’s older sister, Felix is one of the crew, Renée is the shows producer, and then Waverly and little Virginia round it all out. They all brought something unique to the table and I would love to see more of any of them and am hoping the author has plans to turn this into a series? If you’re looking for a sexy, flirty read with a few surprises thrown in along the way, look no further. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Laura Chapman is the author of First & Goal, Going for Two, Three & Out, The Marrying Type, and Playing House. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley. She loves talking to readers. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also get the latest news from her website, blog, and monthly newsletter. 
***Giveaway***

This month, during the Playing House blog tour, you can enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win one of 1 free Audible copy each of The Marrying Type, First & Goal, Going for Two or 1 $20 Amazon gift card. Enter here. 

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Release date: March 22, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Blurb: 

Poppy Bloom has a Life Plan: PhD in psychology, research job at her university, and a life of domestic bliss with handsome boyfriend Gregory. 

But then she finishes her PhD with no job offer, no relationship, and nowhere to live. Being unemployed and living back at her mum’s house in her vampire-themed childhood bedroom was definitely not the plan. 

Poppy is back to square one and miserable, so when she runs into childhood friend Leanne she jumps at the opportunity to catch up. The chance to run into Leanne’s gorgeous brother Tom is just a bonus… 

Soon Poppy’s scored an internship at a radio station, a boyfriend, and a whole netball team of friends: things are on the up. 

But life has a way of tripping you up when you least expect it, and Poppy soon has to decide where her priorities lie… With new friends, a new career and a new romance, can Poppy keep everyone happy, or is everything about to tumble down around her? 

Review: 

I’m so pleased to be a stop on the blog tour for Don’t Stop Me Now! 

What a delightful little surprise this book was! I shouldn’t be shocked, Bookouture have never disappointed me before, but when I say I was surprised I mean that this book had an altogether different vibe and overall message than I was expecting, in a very positive and lovely way!

Poppy was such an endearing character, she’s highly intelligent, a total type A personality, and really relatable. Even though she’s extremely smart, she’s not one of those people who is arrogant with it, she’s rather warm and approachable. She’s had her entire life mapped out for years,  but on the day of her graduation, her perfect plans start to fall apart at the seams.  Her boyfriend dumps her for her best friend, she loses her potential (and highly sought after) job, and finds herself almost thirty and living back at home. But instead of wallowing in self pity and binging Netflix and eating Ben & Jerry’s (like many chick lit heroines so often do) she decides to take the opportunity to try some new things and take some risks that may have a huge payoff for her in the end. 

This was such an empowering read! Poppy has the BEST attitude, she was so brave in the face of adversity. She had several setbacks and she would allow herself to be upset for a short period of time, but then she would brush herself off and get back in the game. She tried new things, she let go of her fears, and she ended up learning so much about herself and having plenty of adventures along the way. While there is a bit of romance present it wasn’t heavily featured or the main storyline and I found that refreshing that Poppy focused more on herself and her own life than solely on a man. Yes, love and romance is important to her but it’s not the end all and be all of everything. 

The message was so powerful, it’s about having self confidence and believing in what you can achieve. I think everyone could benefit from hearing that sort of thing from time to time and it made me feel unstoppable and inspired in the end. A portion of the books sales will be donated to mental health charities that help young people and I found that so touching, I think it says so much about the author as a person. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Colleen Coleman is an Irish-Canadian novelist. She is the winner of the much-coveted Novelicious Undiscovered People’s Choice Award launched to find the next ‘chick-lit star’. She spent over ten years working as a teacher of English and Philosophy before finally taking a deep breath, scrunching her eyes shut, putting her pen to paper and vowing not to lift it again until she wrote the words The End. As a result, her first novel was born. Colleen lives between London, Ireland and Cyprus with her very patient husband and very, very chatty twin daughters. Don’t Stop Me Now is her first book and will be released in March. 

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Release date: March 15, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books 

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

The novel is constructed as a series of podcasts, in which an investigative journalist describes the circumstances around the death of a teenaged boy in an outward-bound centre, interviewing witnesses, suspects and people close to the incident. Their six accounts form the six stories of the title, creating a “chilling and compelling, page-turning thriller that also delves deep into notions of truth, perception and loyalty”.

I’m ecstatic to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Six Stories today! 

Orenda Books has a knack for publishing unique, fresh books under the umbrella of crime fiction and once again, I’m completely blown away by one of their books. Six Stories is a wholly original, modern twist on a classic murder mystery. There are six distinct stories, six very easily distinguishable voices used in this podcast style book. Tom Jeffries was fifteen when he disappeared in 1996 and his body was found a year later. Twenty years later and Scott King, a podcast host decides to feature the story on his podcast.  What happened the night he disappeared? Why did it take a year for his body to be discovered? And most importantly, who killed him? 

The format of this book really made it standout from the crowd for me. I loved the conversational style it provided, it really felt like I was listening to a true crime podcast. Wesolowski did a phenomenal job of giving each character a clear, unique voice and I couldn’t help but think the audiobook version of this must be superb. As my husband isn’t a reader I’m thinking we need to listen to it together, but I digress. As each podcast comes to a close, more truth is revealed, but more questions also arise. Who is actually reliable and trustworthy? Seeing as how the events in question occurred twenty years ago, everyone’s recollections are hazy at best making it all the more complicated to put all the puzzle pieces together. Everyone interviewed by King is directly involved in the case and they all add a new twist to things, leaving you to draw your own conclusions as to what to believe, or not to believe. As the layers are slowly peeled back, secrets are unveiled that finally shed light on what truly happened. 

This was an unsettling read, one that makes you feel like evil is lurking just around the corner, that leaves a pit of uneasiness in your stomach. Scarclaw Fell was hauntingly atmospheric and a ideal setting for such a tragic event. The whole thing was brilliantly, cleverly executed and a highly immersive read. You could feel the chill in the air, hear the sounds of the forest, see glimpses of the unknown skulking about. The ending was utterly perfect, I really can’t find fault with any aspect of this one and I’m praying that Wesolowski is currently working on his next book. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: March 17, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Chick Lit, Cozy Mystery 

Blurb: 

Welcome to Chapelwick, a leafy English town in the hills of Shropshire, where chocolate pecan cookies come with a helping of sabotage.

Maplemead Castle is crawling with ghosts, and the new owners need them gone. When Melody Bittersweet and the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency arrive on scene, they quickly identify the troublemakers swinging from the chandeliers… literally. 

A century ago, stunning trapeze artist Britannia Lovell plunged to her death, and has done every night since. But did she really just fall, or was there something more to her demise?

Forced to work with Leo Dark, her scoundrel ex, and infuriating, irresistible reporter Fletcher Gunn, Melody’s investigative powers are under strain (i.e. lost in a pink mist of lust and confusion). She needs her team on top form, but best friend Marina’s cake pipeline goes AWOL, assistant Artie’s distracted by a giant sausage roll, and the pug is scared witless by a lion.

Somewhere, hidden in the castle, is a heart-breaking secret, but what will it take to find it? And is there a chance it could set Britannia free, or is she doomed to repeat her last fateful act forever?

Review: 

Ahhhh I am SO excited to be one of the stops on the blog tour for Mystery at Maplemead Castle today! This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites, I think I may have liked this one a tiny bit more than the first book, and I really liked that one as well! My review for the first book can be found here. 

Melody and crew feel like old friends at this point, and I was so pleased to be aquatinted with them again. Not much has changed since the first book, Melody is still a sugar addict who daydreams of sexy superheroes, Marina is still a vixen in stilettos, Artie is still slowly gaining confidence and may be ready to dip his toes into the dating pool, and Silvana and Dicey are still up to their old tricks. This time around the Girls Ghostbusting Agency is tasked with clearing a gorgeous castle of its lingering spirits and things are seriously complicated. Leo Dark is also underfoot and Fletcher Gunn is writing yet another piece for the newspaper. One ex boyfriend and one potential new love interest for Melody is overwhelming enough, but a ghostly love triangle, with the terrifying bonus of a lion is enough to push sweet Melody over the edge.

I can’t get over how hilarious this was! I laughed even harder than I did during the first book, at one point I was crying with laughter, full blown hysterics. There is an over abundance of witty, snarky banter between all of the characters, but when Marina and Melody go off on a tangent, I lose it. They get naughty, sassy and are downright incorrigible but I love every minute of it. Fletch played a large presence in this one and the heat between him and Melody was awesome! Their banter was amazing as well, their chemistry is sizzling and the way he manages to make Melody tangle herself in verbal knots is beyond funny. I think I’ll chuckle to myself anytime I hear/see the word rhubarb. 

I now know that I can only start a Kitty French book when I have nothing else to do because I hate having to put it down. For such a quirky, fun loving read, there were some heartfelt and tender moments, I swear this series has it all. This book was an utter delight and I can’t wait for the next one. I dare you to read this without cracking a smile, I’m still smiling and giggling hours after finishing. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Kitty French lives in the Black Country with her husband, two young sons and two crazy cats. She’s a lover of all things romantic – songs, music, and most of all, books. Her USA Today best-selling Lucien Knight series topped the erotic chart on both sides of the pond, and she also writes romantic comedy as Kat French for Avon, HarperCollins. 

She’s over the moon to join Bookouture with her brand new paranormal romantic comedy series, Melody Bittersweet and the Girls Ghostbusting Agency.

Website

Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: March 21, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

Gavin Law was a whistleblower.

Now he’s missing.

Just another case for Glasgow PI, Charlie Cameron, until he discovers there is more to Law and his disappearance than anyone imagined.

Wallace Maitland, the surgeon responsible for leaving a woman brain-damaged may have abandoned his sacred oath and become a killer. Did the hospital which refused to accept responsibility for the tragedy have Law silenced permanently? Or, with his wife little more than a vegetable, has David Cooper, believing he has been betrayed yet again, taken justice into his own hands?

Charlie comes to realise the world of medicine can be a dangerous place.

Across the city, East End gangster, Sean Rafferty is preparing to exploit the already corrupt city council in a multi-million pound leisure development known as Riverside. The project will be good for Glasgow. But not everybody is keen to work with Rafferty.  

With more than money at stake, Sean will do anything to get his way. His motto, borrowed from his old man, is simple. Never take a no from somebody who can give you a yes.

If that means murder, then so be it.

Charlie has crossed Rafferty’s path before and lived to tell the tale.

He may not be so lucky a second time. 

Review: 

Happy publication day to Owen Mullen, I’m thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. 

This is book three in the Charlie Cameron series and I wouldn’t recommend reading it as a standalone because at this point there is some pretty deep character development at play and you would also be missing out on a great series! One of my favorite things about this series is that Charlie is a PI and not a detective which while being unique, it’s also fun because he’s not restricted by the same rules and regulations as a police officer and he has the freedom to take on cases of his choosing. He also can toe the line more and follow his gut instincts which keeps things fresh and exciting. 

I spoke of character development earlier and while there are always more layers to Charlie’s character being revealed, this time you learn more about Charlie’s police contact and friend, Andrew Geddes. Diving into his background and seeing what drives him was really interesting and following along with him as he works a case was also a new treat. When two separate cases that both men are working on collide, things really start to get sticky and compelling. 

I’ve really grown to love and appreciate Mullen’s use of dry wit and humor in his writing, it breaks things up and always causes me to smirk. Charlie is such a likable guy to me and though I always enjoy following along as he tries to solve a case and find a missing person, seeing what he does in terms of his romantic and personal life is also a draw. There is a little bit of that in this book and I can’t wait to see what comes of that. The Rafferty’s are also back, and that only means trouble for Charlie and things were left wide open, the epilogue especially intrigued me, I’ll be impatiently awaiting book four! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

When he was ten, Owen Mullen won a short story competition and didn’t write anything else for almost forty years. In between he graduated from Strathclyde University with a Masters in Tourism and a degree in Marketing, moved to London and worked as a rock musician, session singer and songwriter, and had a hit record in Japan with a band he refuses to name; on occasion he still performs. He returned to Scotland to run a management consultancy and a marketing agency. He is an Arsenal supporter and a serious foodie. A gregarious recluse, he and his wife, Christine, split their time between Glasgow – where the Charlie Cameron books are set – and their villa in the Greek Islands.